Lovecraftian RPG ‘Cthulhu Chronicles’ Out on iOS Today

We’re still waiting on games like The Sinking City and Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game, but out today is MetaArcade’s Cthulhu Chronicles, which should satisfy those looking to scratch that Lovecraft itch. Plus, seeing as it’s out on iOS (with other platforms in development), you can take it on the go!

Created in partnership with Chaosium, creator of the popular tabletop RPG game, Call of Cthulhu, the video game “distills the essence of the award-winning roleplaying system into a story-driven, intuitive experience designed for mobile gamers”. To celebrate the launch of the game today, there’s a special 10% discount on all scenarios during the launch week.

In Cthulhu Chronicles, players can assume the role of various archetypal investigator characters, such as a policewoman or private detective, to pursue missions involving crazy cults, sinister creatures, and horrors from beyond space. The immersive narrative is accompanied by rich images and evocative ambient soundtrack by Cthulhu contributors Chad Fifer, Cryo Chamber, Graham Plowman, and others.

Unlike many RPGs, the focus in Cthulhu Chronicles isn’t on building up a character through combat. Instead, players choose an appropriate investigator for the mission at hand, with each investigator having their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as individual storylines. At key decision points, players will make choices that matter, as each story has multiple endings and numerous clues to uncover—which in turn unlock new storylines and outcomes as the campaign unfolds.

At launch, the game includes five unique scenarios created with MetaArcade’s proprietary Adventure Creator tool, with four more coming soon. Together, these scenarios comprise the first Cthulhu Chronicles campaign, “Investigations in Lovecraft Country”. Additional campaigns are planned after launch; there will also be an opportunity for the community to create their own Cthulhu Chronicles stories in the future.

Players get five ‘trials’ each day to play any story for free, and can buy stories via in-app purchase to unlock them permanently for unlimited plays.